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Cervical Disc Protrusion (c5-c6) with Arm/Leg Weakness and Shaky Hands
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MedHelp Member's Question

Cervical Disc Protrusion (c5-c6) with Arm/Leg Weakness and Shaky Hands

by Sandra1971, May 24, 2006 12:00AM
Please help!  I am a 34 yr old healthy woman who was in a car accident (rear-ended) in February 2006.  Minor heck pain for a few weeks and thought I was fine.  Then in April terrible neck pain and tingling/numbness in left arm and leg.  Doctor prescribed 3 MRI's (C-spine, T-spine, and Brain).  T-spine and Brain normal, but C-Spine showed a small midline disc protrusion at c5-c6. They said it was touching the spinal canal but with no spinal compression or nerve impingement at the time of the MRI (April 2006). Referred to a Neuro who prescribed Sulindac(anti-inflammatory) and Muscle Relaxer.  However, in the last month things have been getting worse.  Have had what feels like weakness and burning or tiredness as well as numbness and tingling in both arms and legs, sometimes worse than other times, sometimes more one side than the other.  Then my hands have started shaking, more one than the other.  This is very scary.  Neuro says that that she does not know why, and I tried to get a follow-up appmt, but was told they could not fit me in. I have many unanswered questions.  

1)  Could the disc bulge has gotten much larger in just a month and could it now be causing spinal cord compression?  How likely is this?

2)  Should I request another C-spine MRI?

3)  What do you think is causing the wierd leg weakness?  I can understand the arms being affected by the neck injury but not the legs.

4)  Do most disc bulges heal on their own, or require surgery?



Thank you for your help.  If anyone who reads this knows of a Neurologist in NC who specializing in discs, please let me know.
Doctor's Answer

by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, May 31, 2006 12:00AM
In general, symptoms of spinal cord compression are spasticity and weakness in the arms and legs, and loss of bladder function. There may be loss of sensation on one side of the body, and weakness on the other. Sensory symptoms alone would be unusual. I cannot give you a formal opinion on your symptoms, but none of them seem to be hard signs for spinal cord compression, and I would continue to consider other diagnosis.



The nerve fibers for the arms and legs pass together from the brain through the spinal cord - the leg nerves just continue on down the cord after passing through the neck region



The majority of discs heal with conservative treatment. Surgery is mainly indicated when there is evidence of neurological injury, to prevent further neurological injury



The MRI is done lying on your back, and everything sags down a bit, when standing there may be more contact with the cord than you think.
Member Comments (14)

by DanaR528, May 24, 2006 12:00AM
Well, I am not a doctor. However, I may be able to answer some of your questions. The disc bulge can't get worse over time unless you were involved in a second accident. I have been in 2 car accidents within a 7 month period. I had previously a disc bulge at the C6-7 Level from the first accident. After the 2nd accident it got worse and is now a herniation.



However, I did find that the seat belt caused a lot of damage to the anterior and venous blood flow to the upper part of my body..hands, shoulders, etc. Try this simple test and see what happens.



Find your radial pulse( on your wrist) and then raise your arm up above your head and see if it disappears. This happened to me in both arms and now it's possible I could have pinched something in the clavicle area.



Some symptoms: Shaky hands, no grip strength, pain when writing/typing, hands turn blue, tiredness when holding 90 degrees..such as driving, aching in the wrist area..I also have pain in both feet as well as the ankles. If this sounds like something you are going through then I would recommend you seek the help of a vasular specialist. They can send you for further testing such as doplars, etc. Also, ask for an EMG test. That will determine if there are any pinched nerves anywhere.



Also this is a great site for TOS(Thoracic Outlet Syndrom)



http://www.ecentral.com/members/rsanders/

by DanaR528, May 24, 2006 12:00AM
Also, if you are having pain radiating down your legs, you should have a lumbar MRI.

by mike1105, May 24, 2006 12:00AM
i think dana may be on to something. it's called thoracic outlet syndrome. It's difficult to get a diagnosis-- most doctors are very unfamiliar with it. it may explain your upper extremity problems although i am not sure about your lower extremity. Basically what happens is whiplash injuries in a roundabout way create impingement in an already tight area around and under the first rib and clavicle. it can be bilateral. 2 docs who may help you are Dr. Julie Freishlag at Jons Hopkins and Dr. Richard Sanders in Denver colorado. I would choose the latter if expediency is a concern since he is in private practice. i think he also has a website. From your Mri report I think it is unlikely a disc is causing these problems if there is no nerve root impingement or foraminal stenosis.

by _phoenix_, May 25, 2006 12:00AM
Thanks to dana for the link.  I've been dealing with similar problems since an accident in July.  Also have compromise at C 5-6, and low back issues.   The description of symptoms for TOS is the closest I've come to an answer.  Phys therapy has compounded the problem for me once we've moved beyond stretching into strengthening.  Too bad I have to wait 6 weeks to see my specialist again!

by cino, Jun 03, 2006 12:00AM
I am not a doctor, but I have had disc problem in my neck since the age of 17.  I am now 53 yrs old.  I had a car accident when I was 17 yrs. old, resulting in whiplash.  Through the years, there has been degeneration throughout my neck & spine.  I have had constant chronic headaches every day of my life since the age of 17 yrs.  No doctor, chiropractor, physitherapist, accupunturist, neurosurgeon, or anyone else has been able to help me. I noticed that someone said that your disc cannot get worse.  Well, in the year 2000, I had another whiplash. I was referred to a Neurosurgeon, who took a CT scan and an MRI.  The Neurosurgeon told me at that time I had 2 herniated discs protruding on the nerve roots compressing on the spinal cord.  He told me that the 3rd disc is already starting, and this will get worse with time, and with degeneration, it will go down to every disc in my spine one by one.  I have had severe pain in my left neck, shoulder and arm.  With time, it has also gone to the right side.  Two years ago, I had such severe pain in my legs, I could hardly walk.  At night, I could not lay on my side for more than 5 minutes at a time, it was on my left side because of the pain, and had to roll over. Then the pain was again on my right side, shooting all the way down.  This went on & on, rolling over from one side to other, onto my back, and not sleeping for months and months.  I was referred to the Pain Clinic at the hospital.  They told me this arm and leg pain was coming from the neck. The neurosurgeon told me that surgically, there is nothing he can do for me.  They put me on drugs and painkillers, but to no avail.  I stopped using all of them, as even the highest does of Morpheine that they could give me did not help the pain.  They told me that I would be in a wheelchair within 4 years if I did not walk, and walk and walk and keep moving.  I have not slept more than 4 hours every night for the past 6 years, since 2000.  Now, in December 2005, I started getting dizzy.  I would lay down and stand up, put my head up, put it down, and the room would spin like I was on an amusement ride.  I recently had another scan, and it showed that things have gone from bad to worse.  That now, I have 5 herniated bulging discs. C2/3 - C3/4 - C4/5 - C5/6 - C6/7.  Since the neurosurgeon told me there is nothing he can do surgically, I am waiting to see the Neurologist in July, 2006.  He has told me I must urgently see him, as the neck is causing not only severe pain, but dizziness as well.  The worse bulging discs are C4/5 and C5/6, with narrowing of the lateral canals and calcified posterior bulge of the disc annulus significantly encroaching the central